The Peachtree City Planning Commission Monday gave unanimous approval of the schematic site plan for the proposed Line Creek retail development on Ga. Highway 54 and Planterra Way.

Nearly all the questions by commissioners and neighbors concerned the buffer that would separate the development from the adjacent Cardiff Park residences. The plan’s approval came with four conditions, including one suggested by residents.

“This plan is far better than where we were a few months ago,” Commissioner Patrick Staples said before the vote.

Development representatives Doug McMurrain and Jim Lowe reviewed the updated plan that would locate 175,000 square feet of retail and 664 parking spaces on the 14.3-acre site.

They noted the location of a proposed 39,300-square-foot retail building, potentially a grocery operation, at the corner of Hwy. 54 and Planterra.

Outside the front of the building facing Hwy. 54 would be a botanical area outfitted with curved walls, a terraced garden, grass pavers and an outdoor patio.

The development’s entrance on Hwy. 54 would feature a tree-lined boulevard leading to four retail buildings ranging in size from 25,500 square feet to 42,000 square feet. Two additional buildings, at 9,400 and 5,000 square feet, are also proposed for the site.

The overall parking areas included more than 100 trees designed to break up the large expanse of parking, Lowe said. Other plan features included pedestrian walkways connecting the buildings and a number of parking spaces for golf carts.

But it was not the size of the retail buildings or the number of parking spaces that got the most attention. It was the proximity of the four large retail buildings in the rear of the property or, more importantly, questions over the width and height of the planted buffer that raised the wealth of questions to commissioners and developers. Those posing questions were largely residents of adjacent Cardiff Park.

Residents were concerned about the height of the earthen berm, the height of the trees that would be installed and the amount of visibility and noise that nearby residents would encounter. One resident requested the inclusion in the plan of a three-year and a five-year review of the landscaping by neighbors, a suggestion to which McMurrain agreed.

The concerns of one resident, Phyllis Aguayo, were typical of many of those with questions. Aguayo noted the potential problems with noise that accompanied loading and unloading trucks behind the stores, visibility concerns with such massive buildings in close proximity to homes and concerns over adequate screening.

McMurrain noted neighbors’ concerns, saying that developers would need to walk the site and field-engineer the buffer to adhere to city requirements and neighbors’ concerns and to accommodate seasonal variations experienced by the various tree species.

City Planner David Rast emphasized that the night’s meeting was specifically intended to address the schematic site plan. The issues surrounding buffer concerns such as berms, landscaping and the height of trees in the buffer would be addressed further into the public process during discussions on the final site plan and landscape plan.

The schematic site plan was approved with four conditions. One condition noted that modifications to the proposed site plan and building elevations might be required based on conditions imposed in the upcoming Special Use permit review process.

A second condition required the applicant’s continued work with city staff to ensure compliance with local ordinances, while the third condition noted that substantial changes to the schematic site plan must be developed and re-submitted for city review.

The fourth condition, one requested by residents at the meeting, stated the rear buffer was of paramount importance and will be so throughout the development process.

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